Fluid operated means



Aug; 5, 1941. M. P. BURKE FLUID OPERATED MEANS Filed April 23., 1938 www@ Patented ug. 5, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE FLUID OPERATED MEANS Mark l. Burke, Long Beach, Calif.

Application April 21, 1938, Serial No. 203,452

12 Claims.

The invention relates to a uid operated means for use in pumping liquid from a well.

In well pumping practice in which the liquid of the well is elevated to the ground surface and evacuated therefrom by the introduction of gas under pressure to the bottom of the well and under a column of liquid which is forced from the well as a slug, it is desirable to provide timing means which will act automatically at set intervals to deliver the gas to the well. When this type of apparatus is used it is necessary to establish a flow of gas into the well until the slug of liquid is forced entirely out of the well, and then to interrupt the flow of gas from its source of supply and into the well while allowing the pump chamber at the bottom of the well to refill.

It will be appreciated that the time required to ow a well or to force a slug of liquid from a well may not be the same in all cases, and that furthermore the time required for the pump chamber to rell with liquid will be different in different wells, depending upon the production iiow from the formation, the depth of the well, and the amount of liquid to be discharged or pumped as a slug in each pumping cycle. Several types of intermitters for this purpose have been used, some being controlled by gas, others by time clocks, and others by electrical controls as shown in my Patent No. 1,803,837 issued to me May 5, 1931.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a timing mechanism in which compressed gas is the motive fluid. The timing structure includes two receiving chambers of relatively large capacity, the opposite ends of which are open and in free communication with the receiving chambers, the diameter of the cylinder being of smaller area than the receiving chamber with which it communicates. A piston reciprocates within the cylinder, the ends of the piston being acted upon by the pressure of the gas in the receiving chambers, While yieldable resistance acts upon the piston to hold it in either of its extreme positions until the pressure of the operating fluid has built up in one of the receiving chambers to a degree whereby the resistance will be overcome and the piston will move to its other eXtreme position, and will thereby instantly open or close a main now valve. Interposed in the flow line of the operating fluid to the receiving chambers is a valve mechanism which changes position incident to reciprocation of the piston, whereby the flow of pressure uid will be delivered alternately to the receiving chambers and will build up in the receiving chamber toward which the piston has reciprocated in the immediately preceding pump cycle, said valve being so arranged as to completely interrupt ow of operating uid to one cylinder while the other cylinder is lling and regulating means being provided to control the rate of inflowing operating uid and exhaust,

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure l is a view in sectional elevation with parts broken away to show a typical installation of the invention in well pumping practice.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing the construction of the intermitter with the valves in their closed position, indicated by solid lines, and the parts in their opened position indicated by dotted lines.

Referring more particularly to Fig. l of the drawing, I0 indicates a well casing formed at its lower end with a perforated screen or liner II. The upper end of the well casing is closed in with suitable means, such as that generally indicated at I2, and extending downwardly through the packing member i2 is a fluid lift pumping mechanism broadly comprising a tubing i3 within which a macaroni tube I4 is positioned. At the lower end of the tubing I3 a foot valve I5 is provided, and at a point in the length of the macaroni tubing I4 and housed within the tubing I3 is a displacement valve structure generally indicated at I6. The details of the displacement valve structure are more clearly shown in my copending divisional application entitled Fluid liit valve led by me March 3, 1939, Serial No. 259,538.

Above the surface of the ground a structure designated as an intermitter is indicated at II. The details of this structure and its mode of operation will be more particularly disclosed with reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing.

The lower end of the macaroni tubing I4 terminates short of the length of the well tubing I3 within which it is housed. This permits the free flow of fluid from the pump tubing I3 into the macaroni tubing Id when the foot valve I5 is closed and insures that when the foot valve I5 is opened duid may flow freely through the perfon rated casing II, thence through the foot valve I5 and into the well tubing I3 and the macaroni tubing I4. As shown in the drawing, the macaroni tubing I4 is of materially less diameter than the internal diameter of the well tubing I3, thus, an annular iiuid space I8 occurs between the tubings I3 and I4 and circumscribes the tubing I4.

The intermitter I'I is designed to be `used with vformed with stufiing glands 88.

various types of apparatus in which it is necessary to deliver fluid under pressure from a source of supply into a conduit and to permit fluid under pressure to be exhausted from the conduit, the periods of delivery and exhaust being alternately created for desired duration. Such apparatus is the pump structure shown in Fig. 1 of the present drawing, and which is preferably used in connection with the huid ow device disclosed and described in my co-pending divisional application, as above mentioned. rThis particular device is automatic in its action and is controlled by a uid delivered under constant pressure. The structure includes a balanced valve 53; this valve includes a housing 54 formed with dual valve seats 55. The valve seats 55 receive separate movable valve elements 58, one being provided for each seat. The two valve elements 55 are mounted upon a valve stem 5l which extends upwardly through a stuffing gland 58. coupling 59 connects the upper end of the Valve stem 51 with a Valve operating rod 69. This rod is in longitu-dinal alignment with the stem 5l and extends through a housing 8|, which housing is divided into parallel regulating chambers 62 and 83. The regulating chambers are 'separated by an intermediate partition wall 64. This wall carries a cylinder 85, which is open at its opposite ends and would form a direct passageway between the two chambers 62 and 63 if it were not for the provision of a piston 85, which is secured upon the valve operating rod 69 and reciprocates within the cylinder G5. Attention is directed to the fact that the cylinder 65 is of uniform diameter throughout and that it is open at its opposite ends. It will also be seen that the cylinder is of smaller diameter than the receiving chamber with which it communicates, this diameter being calculated in a manner to insure that a predetermined pressure of operating fluid will build up in the receiving chambers 82 and 83 before sufficient pressure will be exerted upon the relatively small area of the piston ends to snap the piston from one of its positions to the other. Suitable packing means 61 is carried at or adjacent the opposite ends of the piston to form a uid seal between the piston and the cylinder. The opposite walls of the housing 6| through whichV the valve operating rod 6U passes are The upper stuffing gland is mounted upon a removable plug 69, which permits the piston to be introduced into the housing 6| and into position through the cylinder 65. The piston is adjustably mounted upon the valve operating rod 69 by nuts 18. The piston itself is formed with a pair of circumferentially extending ball grooves 1| and 12. A lock ball 13 is mounted within a bore 14 formed in the partition wall 84. This ball is iitted with a seat |5 within the bore 'i4 and yieldably urged outwardly by spring i8. An adjusting screw 'Il is provided to establish a desired compression upon the spring 16. The lock ball i3 will temporarily hold the piston in one of its extreme positions until a suflicient pressure has built up against an end of the piston to force the lock ball I3 out of the groove 1| or '|2 in which it is seated and to permit the piston to move to its other extreme position,

A cross head 18 is carried by the upper end of the valve operating rod 60 and is fitted with a Valve rod '|9, upon which a slide valve 89 is mounted. This valve is enclosed within a valve housing 8| Aand slides with relation to a valve base plate 82. The base plate is formed with A spring f ports 83, 84 and 85. The ports 83 and 85 are working ports and the intermediate port 84 is an exhaust port. The slide valve element alternately establishes communication with one of the working ports and the exhaust, as will be hereinafter explained. The working port 83 is fitted with a conduit 88, which leads to an adjustable needle valve 81. Fluid flow is regulated through the needle valve to the chamber 62 within the housing 8|. The conduit 86 is also provided with a connection 88 leading from the conduit into the chamber 62 separately from the needle valve and within which a check valve 89 is disposed. This check valve permits exhaust of fluid from the chamber 82 but does not permit it to enter. The working port is provided with a conduit 99 leading to needle valve 9|. This needle valve regulates the flow of fiuid into the chamber 63. A connection 92 establishes communication between the conduit 99 and the chamber 63 and is fitted with a check valve 93, which allows exit of fluid from the chamber 83 but does not permit it to enter. The slide valve 88 moves from one position to another by reciprocation of the valve rod T9, which passes through a stuffing gland 94 in the valve housing 8|.

Fig. 2 of the drawing shows the interval between operations of the piston 66 as effected by the uid in 'either chamber 62 or 63 is directly and accurately controlled by adjustment of the needle valves 8'! and 9|. It is to be understood, however, that this regulation might be determined by varying the capacities of the chambers with relation to each other and in fact by embodying the structure in a cylinder similar to cylinder 65 but with different dimensions and capacities than here shown,

In operation of the present invention it is to be understood that the casing l0 has been set in a well together with a perforated casing section so that fluid from the geological formation may enter the well and will, due to its pressure, open the foot valve l5 and ow into the pump tubing I3 and the macaroni tubing I4. If the pressure is sufficiently great the fluidwill then ll the space I8 between the two tubings until it has reached the valve head 2|, where it will be stopped. It is possible that the quantity of liquid in the well will not reach such a high level. 'I'he liquid within the macaroni tubing will also reach a level as determined by the pressure of the fluid within the well and the quantity which will accumulate in a predetermined idle period of the lift. It will thus be evident that the quantity of iiuid standing in the macaroni tube I4 and the quantity standing within the space I8 surrounding the macaroni tube in a given period will be the quantity to be elevated from the well at one pumping impulse.

When the well is filling with liquid, as previously described, a fluid will be introduced into the slide valve housing 8| through a pipe 85. This pipe connects with a suitable source of 'fluid under regulated pressure, here generally indicated at 98. The regulated fluid willthen pass into the housing 8|, thence through the port 83 into the conduit 86, it will then flow through the needle valve 87 into the chamber 62 of the intermitter housing 8|. The needle valve has been adjusted to regulate the inflow of pressure fluid from the conduit 88. This fluid will continue to accumulate within the chamber 82 until it has overcome the frictional action exerted by the lock ball '|3, which for the time being has been seated within the groove of the piston 88.

The degree of pressure required is set by the adjusting screw 'I'I. The valve operating rod 60 will move upwardly when the piston is thus released and Vwill move the valve stem 51 to lift the balanced valves 55 from their seats 55. At this time gas under predetermined pressure will pass from a gas supply pipe 9'I and Will ow through the valve housing 54 to the pump tubing I3. It will then flow downwardly in the space I8', which occurs within the pipe I3 and around the macaroni tube It.

The fluid which flows down the space I8 will actuate the valve structure generally indicated at I5 in the drawing. Incident to the operation of this valve structure it is necessary to interrupt the flow of pressure fluid and to permit an exhaust of the same.,

Attention is `directed to the fact that the sectional area of the chamber I3 and the macaroni tube is so proportioned with relation to the volume of gas entering the chamber I8 and the velocity with which it enters as to insure that the gas will act against the accumulated body of liquid to produce a ram action. In this way the vaccumulated body of liquid will be moved as one forming a part of the intermitter structure.

This is brought about in the following manner: when the piston 56 moved t0 its uppermost position under influence of the accumulated pressure of fluid within the chamber 62 the valve operating rod 59 moved upwardly and through the cross head 53, lifting the valve rod 19. This changed the position of the slide valve 60 from that shown in solid lines in Fig. 2 to its dotted line position. While the slide valve was in its solid line position fluid might exhaust from thc chamber 63, through the check valve 93 and then along conduit 99 to the working port 85, thence through the slide valve 80 and out through the exhaust port 8d. When the slide Valve 30 moved to itsdotted line position the exhaust port 84 was placed in communication with the working port S3, and the working port 85 was uncovered. The gas from pipe 85 could then flow into the housing 8l, after which it would pass through the port 85, along the conduit 9D to the needle valve 9| and into the valve chamber 63. During the time this valve chamber is receiving sufficient pressure fluid to create a force of enough magnitude to overcome the friction of the lock ball 'I3 the valve `53 is open. When this pressure reaches a predetermined magnitude the piston 65 will move downwardly and force the balanced valve members 55 on to their seats 55. Here, they will be held yieldably by the spring coupling 59. It will thus be seen that the mechanism here disclosed provides simple and effective means whereby ow of fluid may be controlled intermittently and automatically for desired periods of time, and that these periods may be set optionally to establish a period of flow and inter-V mediate periods of interrupted flow of any desired duration.

While I have shown the preferred form of my invention as now known to me, it will be understood that various changes maybe made in the combination, constructionand arrangement of Vparts by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit ofthe invention as shown.

YI-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 1. A fluid Vmotivated device comprising a valve structure to which ailuid under predetermined pressure is delivered acting to simultaneously and alternatelydirect said pressure fluid to one of a pair of conduits, while permitting exhaust of iluid from thev other of said pair of conduits, a cylinder within which a piston reciprocates, said cylinder having an opening at each of its ends to deliver fluid under pressure thereto, a pair of chambers, one in communication with each of said cylinder openings and each chamber connected with one of the pairof conduits, each of said chambers being jof predetermined volume, means ineach of saidy conduitsv regulating the rate of flow of pressure iiuid into said chambers, means oiering predetermined resistance t0 the movement of the piston within the cylinder, and means operatively connecting thevalve structure with, the piston for actuating the fluid valve to alternately direct the pressure fluid into one chamber while permitting the exhaust of pressure fluid from the other chamber.

2. A fluid motivated device comprising a valve structure to which a-uid under predetermined pressure is delivered acting to simultaneously and alternately direct said pressure fluid to one of a pair of conduits, while permitting exhaust of fluid from the other of said pair of conduits, a cylinder within which a piston in each of said conduits, said cylinder having an opening at each of its ends to deliver fluid under pressure thereto, a pair of chambers, one in communication with each of said cylinder openings and each chamber connected with one of the pair of conduits, each of said chambers being of predetermined volume, means separately `regulating the rate of flow of pressure fluid into said chambers, means offering predetermined resistance to the movement Vof the piston within the cylinder, said resistance means acting Vto hold the piston temporarily in each of its extreme positions, and means operatively connecting the valve structure with the piston for actuating the fluid valve to alternately direct the pressure fluid into said chambers while permitting the exhaust of pressure fluid from the other chamber.

3. A fluid motivated device comprising a pair of separate pressure accumulating chambers, a pressure cylinder between said chambers, one end being in free communication with one of said chambers and the other end being in free communcation with the other ofsaid chambers, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder as moved by difference in pressure in the two accumulating chambers, a pair of conduits for leading a pressure fluid separately to said accumulating chambers, a conduit communicating with a source of operating fluid under pressure, a valve mechanism acting to alternately establish a now of operating fluid from said supply conduit to one of the pair of conduits leading to the accumulating chambers, and permitting exhaust of fluid from the other of said accumulating chambers, whereby fluid pressure will be built up in the accumulating chamber to which the fluid is delivered acting to reciprocate the piston within the cylinderrtoward the other chamber, means holding said piston against movement until a predetermined pressure has been exerted against either of its ends, and means connecting. the

lpiston with the alternately moving valve whereby said valve and piston will move simultaneously.

4. A fluid motivated device comprising a cylinder of uniform diameter open at its opposite ends, a pair of accumulating chambers, one at each end of the cylinder and of greater sectional area than the open cylinder ends, a piston reciprocating within said cylinder as iniiuenced by difference in pressure of an operating fluid in the two accumulating chambers, a piston rod carried by the piston, a two-Way valve structure operatively connected with an end of the rod and adapted to be alternately moved to two flow positions as the piston moves from one extreme end of its stroke to the other, a conduit leading operating fluid under pressure from a source to the two-way valve structure, a pair of conduits leading from the two-way valve structure, one conduit leading to one accumulating chamber and the other conduit leading to the other accumulating chamber, whereby fluid may be separately and alternately delivered to the two accumulating chambers, separate alternately opening exhaust conduits, one for each accumulating chamber controlled by said two-way valve structure, and retarding means acting upon the piston to hold it in one of its extreme positions until pressure has built up in an accumulating chamber upon that end of the cylinder to move it to the opposite end of the cylinder.

5. A fluid operated device including a cylinder and a piston, means for separately and alternately introducing a fluid under pressure into opposite ends of the cylinder and against opposite ends of the piston and for simultaneously alternately exhausting iiuid from opposite ends of said cylinder, means for yieldingly holding the piston in its alternate extreme positions, a pair of pressure chambers respectively in direct communication with the opposite ends of the cylinder, said iirst means including means regulating the rate of flow of fluid into the opposite pressure chambers whereby the period required to build up a sufcient pressure to overcome the yieldable holding action exerted upon the piston will be determined, and means whereby the flow of fluid to the pressure chambers will be alternately established and interrupted as said piston moves to its alternate extreme positions.

6. A uid motivated device comprising a pair of separate pressure accumulating chambers, a pressure cylinder between Said chambers, one end being in free communication with one of said chambers and the other end being in free communication with the other of said chambers, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder as moved by diiference in pressure in the two accumulating chambers, a pair of conduits for leading a pressure fluid separately to said accumulating chambers, a conduit communicating with a source of operating iiuid under pressure, a valve mechanism acting to alternately establish a flow of operating fluid from said supply conduit to one of the pair of conduits leading to the accumulating chambers, and permitting exhaust of fluid from the other of said accumulating chambers, whereby fluid pressure will be built up in the accumulating chamber to which the uid is delivered acting to reciprocate the piston within the cylinder toward the other chamber, individual valve means for each of said conduits for separately adjusting the rate of flow of operating `iiuid to said accumulating chambers, means holding said piston against movement until a predetermined pressure has been exerted against either of its ends, and means connecting the piston with the alternately moving valve whereby said valve and piston will move simultaneously.

7. A fluid motivated device comprising a pair of separate pressure accumulating chambers, a pressure cylinder between said chambers, one end being in free communication with one of said chambers and the other end being in free communication with the other of said chambers, a piston reciprocable in said cylinder as moved by difference in pressure in the two accumulating chambers, a pair of conduits for leading a pressure iiuid separately to said accumulating chambers, a conduit communicating with a source of operating iiuid under pressure, a valve mechanism acting to alternately establish a flow of operating iiuid from said supply conduit to one of the pair of conduits leading to the accumulating chambers, and permitting exhaust of iiuid from the other of said accumulating chambers, whereby fluid pressure will be built up in the accumulating chamber to which the fluid is delivered acting to reciprocate the piston within the cylinder toward the other chamber, means adjustably holding said piston against movement until a predetermined pressure has been exerted against either of its ends, and means connecting the piston with the alternately moving valve whereby said valve and piston will move simultaneously.

8. A fluid motivated device comprising a cylinder, a piston reciprocating therein, a pair of fluid accumulating chambers, one in free communication with each outer end of the cylinder, means for holding the piston in its positions of extreme movement and for delaying movement of the piston until fluid pressure of a predetermined magnitude has accumulated in one of the accumulating chambers and at one end of the cylinder, a supply line for delivering fluid under pressure to the device, a valve structure receiving said fluid, a pair of supply conduits, one leading to each of said accumulating chambers, a pair of exhaust conduits each leading to one of said accumulating chambers, the opposite ends of said conduits communicating with the valve structure, said valve structure being constructed and arranged to alternately establish a flow of iluid under pressure to one of the accumulating chambers and a flow of exhaust fluid from the other one of said accumulating chambers, and an operating connection between the piston and the valve structure for moving the valve to its alternate positions as the piston moves to its alternate positions.

9. A device of the character described comprising a four way valve structure connected with a source of compressible fluid under pressure, a pair of accumulating chambers, a pair of conduits connecting the four Way valve structure with the accumulating chambers, one each of said conduits leading to one of said chambers, said valve structure including a movable valve element within a housing having ports and operating alternately to permit induction of compressible fluid to one accumulating chamber and eduction from the other through said conduits, the accumulating chambers being of a predetermined capacity, valve means regulating the rate of induction of compressible uid to the two accumulating chambers whereby the fluid flow is controlled to permit a predetermined pressure to be built up in an accumulating chamber during a predetermined period of time, a cylinder, one end of which is in communication with one of said accumulating chambers and the opposite end of which is in communication with the opposite accumulating chamber, a piston mounted within the cylinder and adapted to reciprocate therein under influence of the compressible fluid admitted at opposite ends thereof, yieldable means restraining movement of the piston until a predetermined fluid pressure has been created in one of the chambers and a corresponding end of the cylinder, and adjustable means acting upon said yieldable restraining means to determine the pressure at which the piston will be released, and means connecting the piston with the movable valve element to seat the valve in its alternate positions.

10. A device of the character described comprising a four-way valve structure connected with a source of compressible fluid under pres'- sure, a pair of accumulating chambers, a pair of conduits connecting the four-way valve structure with the accumulating chambers, one each of said conduits leading to one of said chambers, said valve structure including a movable valve element within a housing having ports and operating alternately to permit induction of compressible fluid to one accumulating chamber and eduction from the other through said conduits, the accumulating chambers being of a predetermined capacity, valve means regulating the rate of induction of compressible fluid to the two accumulating chambers whereby the fluid ow is controlled to permit a predetermined pressure to be built up in an accumulating chamber during a predetermined period of time, a cylinder, one end of which is in communication with one of said accumulating chambers and the opposite end of which is in communication with the opposite accumulating chamber, a piston mounted within the cylinder and adapted to reciprocate therein under influence of the compressible fluid admitted at opposite ends thereof, yieldable means restraining movement of the piston until a predetermined fluid pressure has been created in one of the chambers and a corresponding end of the cylinder, adjustable means acting upon said yieldable restraining means to determine the pressure at which the piston will be released, and means to increase or decrease the pressure of the pressure fluid, and means connecting the piston with the movable valve element to seat the valve in its alternate positions.

11. In a device of the character described, fluid responsive means acting to move alternately when subjected successively to fluid pressure on its opposite sides, accumulating chambers into which a compressible pressure fluid is delivered and which fluid acts upon the pressure responsive means to move it, said fluid chambers being of predetermined capacity whereby the pressure liuid may accumulate to a desired pressure in a predetermined period of time, means retarding the pressure responsive member until said pressure iiuid has accumulated to the predetermined pressure within either of said chambers, valve means for alternately controlling the delivery of and the exhaust of the pressure uid from said chambers, operating means between the pressure responsive means and the Valve means for moving the valve, and pressure fluid regulating means whereby the control of pressure fluid to and from the accumulating chambers may be regulated to determine timed periods of operation of the pressure responsive means.

12. A fluid motivated device, which device comprises a pair of pressure chambers, each of predetermined volumetric capacity, a cylinder, one end connected with one chamber, and the other end connected with the other chamber, a piston operating in said cylinder and reciprocated by the pressure of a fluid delivered alternately to the ends of the cylinder from the two chambers, means for delivering a pressure fluid to the chambers, valve means interposed between the source of the pressure fluid and the chambers for separately and alternately directing said pressure fluid into the outer end of one or the other of said chambers and for simultaneously and separably alternately exhausting the outer end of one or the other of said chambers, means connecting said valve means with the piston, whereby alternate movement of the piston will alternately move the valve, means for regulating the rate of ow of the pressure iluid being delivered into said chambers, and means resisting movement of the piston until a predetermined pressure value has been created in one of said chambers.

MARK P. BURKE. 

